Beginning Again
by Commander Bear
Summary: It's been months since Nico's coronation and living with his father is much more difficult than he though it would be. The pressure of following in his father's footsteps is wearing down on him. With another demigod on Hades' radar, Nico's true character will be tested in ways he's never experienced before. *Sequel to Aftermath* ON HIATUS
1. Prologue

**A/N Ello! So, long time no see, eh? Merry belated Christmas (/whatever you celebrate at this time of year) everybody! This right here, this first chapter, is my (late) gift to EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU. No matter what time of year it is when you read it.**

**I promised a sequel to** **_Aftermath _****and here it is! Enjoy, REVIEW, FAVORITE, FOLLOW, and all that! **

**I'm pretty nervous about posting this, Nico's arguing an extremely controversial topic. Just don't go attacking me if you don't agree with it. Nico is a character with his own morals and values this is simply how I think he as a _character _would act. You have been warned.**

**For this fic:**  
><strong>Beta: Jackbunjeekiki<strong>  
><strong>A song for this fic: <em>Numb<em> by _Linkin Park  
><em>Disclaimer: I don't own Pjo**

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><p><em>I'm tired of being what you want me to be<em>  
><em>Feeling so faithless, lost under the surface<em>  
><em>Don't know what you're expecting of me<em>  
><em>Put under the pressure of walking in your shoes<em>  
>-<em>Numb<em> by _Linkin Park_

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><p>"We have already discussed this, Nico, and you know full well why I can't."<p>

Nico brought his fists down on the council table leaving a resounding thump to echo through the chamber. An almost mutinous fire burned in his eyes as he met his father's gaze. "Why is it so hard for you to understand? THEY WERE PURE! INNOCENT!"

This particular matter had had tensions running high between the god and his newly crowned son for almost two weeks but it wasn't until now that Nico seemed to be losing control. Hades, however, maintained his indifferent mask. As unpleasant as it was for the god of the dead to have to put his son through this, he knew that it was of the utmost importance that Nico learned what the limits on his new authority and power were. It didn't matter how hard Nico argued or how many times he slammed his curled fists onto polished, wooden tables, Hades simply wouldn't budge. He simply couldn't budge. If Nico was to understand his place in the hierarchy, authority had to be used to its advantage.

"They deserve Elysium, father! These innocent children who were murdered for someone else's convenience."

"That doesn't mean they deserve Elysium, their souls can rest in Asphodel just like everyone else who showed no evil but did nothing remarkable."

"But that isn't fair! 'The Underworld is fair in its judgements', that's what you said when I was crowned. It's exactly what you told me to live by! If you can't follow that yourself-"

"Watch yourself, boy, you are dangerously close to making me angry."

"I DON'T CARE!" All around Nico a great, billowing cloud of black smoke swirled like a storm cloud. "I care about theses kids! They never got a chance to live! They never saw outside or said a single word and now they're gone! They're gone and the only life they'll have is down here. You're just too pigheaded, sadistic-"

"ENOUGH!" Hades' mask had finally cracked.

A sudden gust of force threw Nico against the back wall which he hit with a painful snapping noise. Nico slid down the obsidian wall to the floor. For a moment he was limp and seemed to all the world to be dead until a heavy breath shuddered through his body. His eyes snapped open and he let out a gasp. In that moment he knew that he should have died, he shouldn't have opened his eyes after hitting the wall. The sheer force pushed onto him should have been enough to crush him. A slight tingling ran through each and every one of his bones as the healing powers that came with his immortality sprang into action. Slowly, Nico sat himself up on his elbows. He made an attempt to glare at his father, though the shock of the impact hadn't yet faded away from his eyes.

"Out," Hades breathed, "now."

Nico was seething as he stormed through the Underworld. How could his father do this? Keep wronged souls in Asphodel when they so obviously deserved Elysium. The prince's eyes flashed with anger as he neared the mouth of the judgement pavilion. A long line of souls stretched all the way from the River Styx to the entrance of the pavilion. As Nico approached, they backed away, giving him a wide birth. He glanced around briefly, took a calming breath, and ducked inside.

Within the confines of the tented pavilion was a modern courtroom. Sat at the magistrate's bench were three men, each wearing a golden mask. At the sight of Nico, each of the shades in attendance rose and bowed deeply. He waved them off and strode to the entrance of one of the back chambers.

"My lord," said one of the judges, it was a voice Nico recognized all too well, "you cannot enter the back chamber while a trial is in session."

"There's always a trial in session, Minos. I have orders from my father so don't be offended if I don't listen to you." Throwing a smirk over his shoulder, Nico entered the chamber.

Inside was a line of filing cabinets and a large desk. He flipped through the folders in the filing cabinets as quickly as he could before continuing his search to the large desk. He finally found what he was looking for in the bottom drawer. The top file was labelled 'Preset Sentences'.

A smile tugged at the corner of Nico's mouth as he exited the back chamber. Ignoring the disgruntled shuffling of the shades, he tossed the updated file onto the smooth, stone surface in front of Minos. "You might want to review the changes."

Nico would have been feeling rather pleased with himself if it hadn't been for the remaining anger he felt at the thought of his argument with Hades. The memory of their... disagreement still left a bitter taste in his mouth. The injustice of it all burned at his insides.

Even as he made his way back towards the palace, Nico could see a horde of his father's soldiers charging at him. Shit. Before he really registered what was happening, he was surrounded by skeleton soldiers. He thrust his hands out to ward them off with the bursts of power he was accustomed to possessing. A crease formed between his eyebrows, nothing had happened. His frown turned more desperate as the skeleton's advanced and he thrust his hands out again. Still, nothing happened. The guard's wrapped their bare, bone fingers around his forearms and shoulders in a vice-like grip. His struggles serving only to keep him standing as the skeletons tried to force him to his knees. One with a much larger frame than the others finally resorted to grabbing the back of his neck with one hand and squeezing until he obeyed. Nico slumped to his knees with a dull 'thump'. He had known, of course, that his plan couldn't go unnoticed for too long but this was the fastest Hades' damage control had ever arrived.

No sooner had Nico's knees hit the ground, than his father was on the scene. Towering over the prince with an air of foreboding, Hades glowered at his son and his continued attempts to activate his powers.

"Do not waste your energy," Hades spat, "your powers are capped."

Nico glared up at him, "You won't be able to do that forever. I'm eighteen and a god now."

Hades snorted derisively, "You are hardly a god. Lord of Wandering Souls, is it? Zeus does not trust you, and has given me quite a large measure of control over you for the time being." Nico looked positively venomous at the mention of his father being able to control him. The god gave him a brooding look. "I think you need to cool down before we continue this conversation." He signaled to the guards, "Take him to the dungeons."

It would, of course, have been much easier to simply vanish Nico to the cells, but he had always responded so much better to humiliation. The only way to drill anything into him was to give him a reason to squirm. Not that Hades enjoyed it, seeing his only son brought to him on his knees. The sight would only ever frustrate him more, even if it was the only way Nico would ever learn.

Hours later, in one of the many plain, stone cells, Hades had taken to lecturing his son once again. "You are exceedingly lucky that Zeus has not discovered your ignominious actions. You would have been stripped of your position immediately. How did you expect to get away from this unpunished?"

Nico sank down onto the metal cot attached to the wall and buried his face in his hands. "I don't know," his voice was muffled and he could feel his father's eyes burning into the back of his head. "I didn't really."

"Surely you can't have thought that I would not find out."

He raised his head dismally, "No, I was just so... desperate to do something. Anything."

"You can't live like that, on desperate impulses, not anymore. When you accepted your powers you accepted that."

"I know! I-I..." he ran his fingers through his hair and closed his eyes tightly.

"Perhaps I was wrong," Hades said, looking at his son pensively, "maybe you are not ready after all."

Nico's eyes snapped open again. "No! No, I am ready, really."

"It is more than being able to handle power, Nico. You clearly do not understand what it meant when you accepted the title of Prince." Nico gave his father a searching look, clearly not following. Hades sighed, "Prince, Nico, prince. It means you have superiors! Yes, in most cases you will be above Persephone, but I will have the final word. You are under me, I am under Zeus, not to mention the other gods you will be expected to show some respect to. You need to think about who you are speaking to and against when you speak."

"Thanks for the hierarchy lesson but, what exactly is happening? Am I still, you know, immortal and all that."

"For now."

"Father, please, it was a mistake and I'm sorry."

"And just how many mistakes are you going to make? I can't allow you to keep your position if you are going to consistently disobey me. The amount of power you have been granted cannot go unchecked."

"I won't, I promise."

"You need to prove that, Nico."

"What do I need to do?"

Hades paused, "There is a demigod currently living in Camp Jupiter. Bring her to the Underworld."

"Yes, father," Nico said a little sadly, as if he expected that the demigod wouldn't make it out of the meeting with his father. "Her name?"

"Bryony, Dahlia Bryony."

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><p><strong>AN thanks for reading! Leave me a REVIEW and don't forget to follow so you know when the next chapter is posted. **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Here it is! Finally finished and ready for reading :) Thanks for your patience everyone and please review to tell me what you think. I'll try to respond to everyone personally so make sure you're logged in if you want a reply.  
>For this fic:<br>Disclaimer: I do not own pjo  
>Giant thanks to JackBunjeeKiki for being my beta!<strong>

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><p>Nico rolled his shoulders several times and turned his face up to the sun. It had been far too long since he had left the Underworld. That was probably why he had been so reckless. He tended to lose his head when he'd spent too long with his father.<p>

Camp Jupiter looked exactly the same as the last time Nico had been there. The Little Tiber still trickled smoothly around the border. The temples still shone in the afternoon light. From what Nico could see, the camp was empty but he knew that couldn't be true. A demigod camp would never be empty. Even the Field of Mars was vacant which was strange for a Friday when war games were supposed to be played. The gravel road crunched under his trainers as he looked through the seemingly abandoned camp. That was, until he heard the cheering. It was coming from the coliseum in New Rome. _So that's where the party is. _  
>Fauns, legionnaires, centurions, and, of course, the two Praetors filled every seat in the stands. Down in the arena two demigods clad in Roman armor were facing off. One, who's brown ponytail sprouted out of her helmet, seemed less experienced, her movements more wild. The other appeared content to stay on defense and bat the girl's attacks away with a golden sword.<p>

The Praetors' box sat three people. Octavian, who watched every missed attack with increasing glee, Reyna, who seemed to have turned being a Praetor in to a lifelong career, and Hazel. Hazel with her new purple toga wrapped around her, and frizzy cinnamon brown hair. Hazel who he would protect with his life, was sittingnext to Octavian. When Nico caught her eye, her face broke into a wide grin and she jumped into his arms with an excited squeal he vaguely registered as his name. Nico wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly against his chest. One of his hands buried itself deep in her mane of cinnamon brown hair. Her toga slipped from her hand and onto the stones under their feet, leaving a swirl of disturbed dust clouding around their ankles. Her jeans were worn in the knees, no doubt she wore them riding, and her purple T-shirt seemed to be a little too large for her thin frame.

Out of the corner of his eye, Nico saw Octavian mumble something under his breath. "Have something to say, Octavian?" he asked, releasing Hazel.

"N-no, nothing." Nico smirked in a satisfied manner. "Brilliant."

Beside him, Hazel gave Nico a disapproving look. "Be nice, Nico," she admonished.

"Why are you here, Ambassador?" Reyna asked, trying to calm the waters.

Nico's easy smile slipped. "Yeah... about that. I need to borrow one of your legionnaires."

"For how long?"

"Indefinitely." He glanced at Octavian, "I think we should talk about this in private."

"Let's move this to the Principia," Reyna agreed.

"You know what my reward after the war was, don't you?" Nico asked as they entered the Principia. "Of course I know," Reyna scoffed.

Nico snarled. "Then watch your tone." _What's wrong with me? _ Nico thought frantically. A wave of vicious energy surged through his chest, constricting his throat. His thoughts were scrambled, disjointed. They flowed into each other with a swirl of blood pounding in his ears. And then it was gone, as soon as it had come. Both of the Praetors seemed on the verge of apologizing until he gave a forced laugh and swiped a jelly bean from the bowl on the Praetors' shared desk. "I've always wanted to say that. Anyway," he continued, seeing Reyna's glare, "my father sent me. Apparently one of your legionnaires is on his radar. He sent me to pick her up, some girl called Dahlia Bryony."

Hazel glanced at Reyna, unsure what to do about the situation. Though she had never spent much time with him herself, she had heard from Nico just how unreasonable their father could be. "Is it Hades or Pluto?" she asked cautiously.

Nico looked grim. "Hades."

Whatever it was that Hades wanted with the girl, it couldn't be good. Hazel felt bad for her. If Nico had reason to complain about Hades' treatment of him, a complete stranger who had obviously angered the god in some way didn't stand much of a chance.

"Alright," Reyna said. "Your father can have her-"

"Not that you could have said no anyway," Nico interjected.

"-on the condition that she is returned to Camp Jupiter unharmed by the end of the month."

"He won't agree to that."

"He'll have to," Hazel asserted, "And if he doesn't, I'll go down there and talk some sense into him."

"No," Nico said firmly. "If he doesn't agree, _I'll _talk some sense into him. Hazel, you don't understand what he's like. I've been dealing with it since I was twelve."

"It's my job, Nico. As Praetor andhis daughter."

"No, Hazel," Nico insisted. "Don't make me play the god card."  
>She scowled at him, knowing he had her thoroughly beaten.<br>When the three exited the Principia, they found that the fight in the coliseum had finished and a crowd of chattering demigods and legacies was spilling out of New Rome. At the head of the group were the two fighters from the battle Nico had walked in on. The girl had removed her helmet and was carrying it tucked under her arm as she chatted animatedly with her former opponent. The boy she had previously faced smiled widely as the girl chattered on. The boy's face seemed familiar to Nico for some reason but with the jostling crowd half blocking his view, he couldn't quite figure it out.  
>As the crowd drew nearer the boy's face came into view and a broad smile spread over Nico's face. He knew that face, he knew that scar, he knew that blond hair. Jason Grace was back.<p>

"Grace!" Nico called when they got a little closer together.

The blond boy looked up and grinned when he saw who was calling him. "Di Angelo!" he laughed back. "What are you doing back here? I was beginning to think you'd moved on to bigger and better things."

A shadow passed over Nico's face, "Don't worry, I'm nowhere near as high up as you might think. Anyway," he said, his expression clearing, "I thought you and Frank were still doing the grunge work downstairs, or did you just leave Frank to do all the work?"

"Nah, we finished about a week ago. Daedalus gave us a hand with most of it."

"So that's where he's been, you've been stealing my employees," Nico said in an accusatory voice.

"Uh... Jason?" the girl next to him spoke up for the first time. "Who's this?"

"This," Jason said dramatically, "Is Nico di Angelo, the new Prince-" he shot Nico a questioning look, Nico nodded, "-Prince of the Underworld. Nico, this is Dahlia Bryony."

Nico faltered for a fraction of a second before holding out his hand for her to shake. "Pleased to meet you."

She took it with a nervous glance at Jason but smiled pleasantly all the same. "Likewise."

"So, Dahlia," said Nico, "how long have you been at camp?"  
>"A couple months," she answered cautiously. Nico, or rather his title, clearly intimidated her.<p>

The son of Hades nodded slowly, "Good..." he mused, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Why?" she asked, taken aback.

"Because you're less likely to be killed this way," Nico deadpanned.

With plenty of coaxing from Jason, Dahlia had finally agreed to go to the Underworld without any fuss. It had taken much more time than Nico had expected to gain everyone's cooperation so he, much to Dahlia's displeasure, decided that she wouldn't be able to collect her belongings from her trunk in the barracks. Dahlia had complained at first but with one well timed glare from Nico, she had quieted herself fairly quickly.

"I'll make sure you have some stuff for the rest of the month," Nico had said with a smirk.

"He's nice like that," Jason had quipped, earning himself a flick on the arm from Nico.  
>Dahlia's and Nico's departure had followed fairly quickly after that exchange. With Nico's hand clamped firmly around Dahlia's wrist, they had shadow travelled to the Underworld where Nico had ushered a balking Dahlia into the palace.<p>

Once inside the cavernous entrance hall, a dead serving girl stepped forward to greet them. She offered Nico a shallow curtsy. "Lord Hades would like you to join him for dinner."

"Of course he would," Nico said resignedly.

She turned to Dahlia. "I will take you to your room, miss." Nico frowned at the title. Persephone was her mother, and Queen of the Underworld. Surely Dahlia needed to be recognized as someone of higher rank than 'miss'.

"Actually, I will," he announced.

The shade pursed her lips. "As you say, my lord."

"Come on," Nico said, "Follow me."

As the two demigods started up the sweeping, black marble staircase Dahlia couldn't help but gawk at her surroundings. A diamond chandelier hung from the high ceiling in the center of the hall. Marking the landing at the top of the stairs was an enormous tapestry depicting a three headed dog under a giant battle helm. Even the blood red carpet that ran the length of the corridor Nico led her down was richly decorated with golden thread.  
>Dahlia's room, as it turned out, was situated on the fifth floor next door to Nico's. The exterior was simple. A set of dark, wooden, double doors identical to every other room they had passed on that floor. On either side of the doorway was a bracket holding a torch alight with green flames, casting an eerie glow on the door.<p>

"This one's yours," Nico said. "You should get cleaned up and put on some fresh clothes, my father will want to see you. Just don't leave your room until someone comes to get you, it's too easy to get lost here."

The room Nico left her in was huge. That was the first thing Dahlia registered. The smaller features trickled in slowly, the window blocked by stained glass panes, the large bed in the corner laden with a black silk coverlet. In the corner sat an ovate full length mirror. The frame was detailed with intertwining roses and it was swung just so on it's stand to reflect Dahlia as she entered the room. Her green eyes narrowed as she surveyed her ragged clothes. Nico was right, she was too dirty to meet Hades just yet. She snorted, _Why should I care what he thinks about how I look?  
><em>  
>Still, Dahlia decided they would have to go and strode to the large wardrobe in the corner. She threw the doors wide to reveal the abysmal selection of fresh clothing. Hanging from ivory hangers were plain blouses in varying shades of red and grey. Several black and white options dotted the sea of red and grey. Still swinging on their hooks on the back of each door were two jackets, one was a simple, grey, zip-up hoodie and the other a thicker looking, double breasted over coat. Folded neatly on the shelves lining the bottom of the wardrobe were identical pairs of navy blue jeans. Sat in a pencil straight line on the highest shelf beneath the hanging shirts were pairs of ballet flats in every color of the rainbow and ankle boots made of what appeared to be real leather. She wrinkled her nose in distaste. Most definitely not her usual style.<p>

Sighing, Dahlia grabbed a pair of jeans, a red halter top, and a pair of black ankle boots. She carried her armful of clothes to the bathroom and dumped them on the floor next to the sink. After kicking the door closed behind her, Dahlia allowed her eyes to stray to the mirror above the gleaming sink.  
>She studied her face in the mirror ringed by an ornately carved frame. An elongated cut sliced downher cheek from her right temple to the corner of her chewed lips. Along her top lip ran a thin string of blood which dripped into her mouth with every other breath. Silently, Dahlia cursed her nervous habit. Other than that and a small bruise forming over her left eyebrow, she was unharmed. Dahlia knew full well that Jason would never intentionally hurt her but their fight had become more aggressive after the notable exit of the praetors. In actuality, it was a mistake on Dahlia's part that had caused what minor injuries she had acquired. Jason had fainted left and made to swing at her right side but she had ignored the signals he had given her about which way he was going and ended up face forward in the dirt with her own helmet cutting into the side of her face.<p>

Behind her in the corner was a large bathtub, three steps deep and decorated with carved vines. Sat on the edge of the tub was a basket filled to the brim with different smelling soaps. Dahlia turned and picked up one of the smooth bars. It was plain white and when she held it up to sniff the almost overwhelming smell of mint wafted through her nostrils. Placing the soap back in the basket, Dahlia reached for the golden faucet and let the water cascade into the tub.

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><p>"You did as I asked, I presume?" Hades asked when Nico entered the dining hall. He was sat at the head of the table as per usual and the only two plates on the table were piled high with food. Obviously, Persephone would not be joining them. Nico decided that it was for the best, she never approved of Hades' schemes anyway.<p>

He nodded, "Dahlia's in her room getting cleaned up."

Hades narrowed his eyes suspiciously, "'_Her_ room'? Which room did you give her?"

"The one next to mine," Nico said nonchalantly as he slid into his seat on Hades' right.

The god let out a bark of laughter, "I should have guessed. You become attached to people so easily."

The only sign Nico had been affected by his father's comment was the slight tensing in his shoulders. He picked up his knife and fork and said conversationally, "Why did you want her, anyway?"

Hades paused and watched his son take a bite of his food before answering. "It may come as a shock to you but Persephone is not quite as loyal to me as she pretends to be."

Nico dropped his knife and fork back onto his plate. "You don't mean..."

"After Persephone discovered you and Bianca where still alive and living in the Lotus Hotel, she felt... spurned. She felt the need to have revenge on me. Of course she tried to hide it when she realized what she'd done. However, her indiscretion was not too difficult to uncover."

"I think I'm finished," Nico said, pushing out his chair and making to stand.

"Tell me, Nico, why is it every time a difficult subject comes up you attempt to scurry away to your room?" Hades questioned. Before Nico could respond, he continued sharply, "I am not quite finished with you yet." Nico sank back into his chair with a sigh.

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><p>"This is <em>not<em> a good idea," Dahlia said, picking at the flowing fabric of her shirt.

"He just wants to talk to you," Nico smirked. "Play nice."

As Nico opened the doors he was reminded forcefully of the last time he had told someone that his father 'only wanted to talk'. It had ended in a perfect disaster with his father being pulled from his chariot and held at sword point by Percy Jackson. The double doors opened soundlessly when Nico placed his hands on each of the smooth surfaces. They swung inward to reveal a large room filled with ornately carved furniture. It was dominated by a dark, wooden desk on which sat several pieces of paper. Within the study Hades stood with his back to the door, bent over the large writing desk.

"Father," Nico said, announcing their presence.

Hades turned away from the desk. He appeared almost pleased as he looked Dahlia up and down. "Excellent, Nico, it seems you are capable of following orders." Nico rolled his eyes at the false bravado.

"Why did you bring me here?" Dahlia asked, placing her hands on her hips.

"You are here to learn your parentage," Hades said simply.

Dahlia's eyes widened, "I'm not your... am I?"

Hades smiled cruelly, "No, I am afraid it is much worse for you than that." Dahlia looked over her shoulder to throw Nico a confused glance. The god's eyes roved over Dahlia to his son and he frowned. "Nico, leave us."

Nico didn't move, "I'm not leaving her alone with you."

"That was an order, now _leave._"

Nico glanced back and forth between his father and Dahlia, taking in his father's cold glare and Dahlia's nervous, shifting eyes. After a few seconds debate, he turned to leave, throwing a calculating look over his shoulder as he went.

The power he had felt surging through him when he had challenged his father terrified him. It was unlike anything he had ever felt before. His shadow traveling and summoning had never filled him with the immense power had felt when he had challenged his father. But it didn't seem right. Anger and conflict shouldn't empower him, it should destroy him like it had when he was eleven years old and alone without his sister.

Nico hurried down the hall and around the corner until he reached the door to the music room. Inside were several small couches and tables along with a gleaming grand piano. He ignored the trappings and decorations filling the room and headed directly for the bookcases. Each of the shelves was full nearly to bursting with books and folders of music but one, only one, had a small gap between the end of the shelf and the last book.  
>Not wasting any time, Nico began pulling books off of the shelves. In the space he had cleared was a small grate. At the bottom of the intricate metal covering was a tiny switch, Nico flicked it and a small panel slid to the side.<p>

Through the gaps in the metal Nico could easily see his father and Dahlia continuing their conversation. Dahlia stood with her hands twisted in the hem of her shirt and she kept shifting from foot to foot. Hades bore down on her with a menacing heat in his glare.

"Please don't hurt my dad," Dahlia was saying, "he hasn't done anything!"

"Besides fornicate with my wife of course."

"He didn't know!"

"Then perhaps he should not have bed a woman he was not married to."

"_You_ did!" Tears were shining Dahlia's eyes now. Her want to protect her father was clearly stronger than her fear of Hades. It was plain to Nico, now at least, that she wasn't as shy and spineless as he had previously thought. "I know Nico isn't Persephone's son. You let him be a prince but you won't let me keep my dad!"

"Hold your tongue!" Hades snapped. "How dare you make such accusations against me?"

Without warning, the doors swung open and Persephone tore into the study. Her dress was hiked up around her ankles and her kitten heels were hanging from between her fingers. "Husband, please," she begged. "She's my daughter."

"Persephone," Hades said in poorly masked surprise, "What are you doing in here?"

"Please," she said again, "leave Dahlia and her father out of this."

"Wait," Dahlia interrupted, "you're my...?"

Persephone turned her head to look at her daughter sympathetically and nodded, "I am."

"No... no! This isn't happening!" Dahlia wailed. "Didn't you know what would happen to me? And my dad?" The demigod gestured wildly to Hades, "He's going to kill us!"

"No, I'm not." Dahlia and Persephone both gaped at the god. "I have no interest in killing you, if I was ever able to. Gods cannot attack half-bloods, it is written in the ancient laws and I doubt that Nico could be convinced to fulfill that particular task."

"Then... why did you want me?"

"I have a proposition for you. I will leave your father alone on the condition that you willingly remain in the Underworld."

"Why?" Persephone asked. "You have one demigod already, you don't need another."

"I do not need to explain myself to you," Hades snapped. "Will you accept my terms?" he asked.

Nico bit his lip. _No no no no no! Say no for Olympus' sake!  
><em>  
>Dahlia paused, considering her lack of options. "Alright."<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N Hey guys! Sorry it took so long, life and communication errors mixed with a slightly unhealthy dose of writer's block got in the way for a while.**

**There are a couple guest REVIEWs I want to reply to so read on if you think one of them is yours or feel free to skip ahead to the story if you don't really care.  
><em>Tempest<em> (guest): This is the sequel to _Aftermath_ and the prequel to _Brightest of Futures_. I don't know what The Talk is but I didn't write it. Hope that cleared things up! :)  
><em>Guest<em>: They said:_ they are soo going to get married Nico and Dahlia.  
><em> I say: I wouldn't be so sure…**

**For this fic:  
>Beta: Jackbunjeekiki<br>A song for this fic: You're Gonna Go Far Kid - The Offspring  
>Disclaimer: I do not own PJO<strong>

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><p><em>With a thousand lies<em>  
><em>And a good disguise<em>  
><em>Hit 'em right between the eyes<em>  
><em>Hit 'em right between the eyes<em>  
><em>When you walk away<em>  
><em>Nothing more to say<em>  
><em>See the lightning in your eyes<em>  
><em>See 'em running for their lives<br>- You're Gonna Go Far Kid _by_ The Offspring_

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><p>There were two libraries are in Hades' palace. One was out of bounds to all except the king and queen of the Underworld, the other was far larger and any who are invited to the palace may enter. With the distinct lack of visitors to the Underworld both libraries stayed unused most of the time. At least that had been the case until Nico had been crowned. With his coronation came a long list of new duties. Much of the work that Nico was required to do was finished in the more public library.<p>

It was a quiet room, with nothing but the crackling of the green, flaming torches to permeate the silence. The many shelves and tables were made out of dark wood. It would seem gloomy to most people but to Nico it was the perfect place for him to complete his work in peace. Unfortunately for him, the only semi-permanent visitor he had ever shared the palace with insisted on shadowing him while he worked.

The constant sound of Dahlia's footsteps as she paced up and down the many shelves seemed to be becoming ingrained into his mind. He gritted his teeth and tried to hold in his irritation for just a few more minutes.

It didn't work.

"Could you just _stop_?" he called, exasperated.

Much to his distaste, the footsteps didn't cease. Instead they grew closer and louder until Dahlia came around the corner to the study area where Nico was sat doing his work. The high windows that lined the wall behind Nico's desk offered little illumination to the dark room. What they did offer cast a strip of light through Nico's black hair. It looked surreal in Dahlia's opinion, like a broken halo.

"What're you working on?" Dahlia asked, hopping onto the edge of the desk and leaning over to read the papers in front of Nico.

"Looking for a loophole in one of my father's stupid rules," he replied without looking up.

"Which one?" she prodded.

"The one that says unborn babies go to Asphodel."

"So you're pro-life then? Ironic."

Nico looked up from the papers and glowered at her. "How someone dies is none of my business. How they're treated down here, well, I _make_ it my business."

There was an awkward silence during which Nico stared blankly at a large, red tapestry hung on the wall opposite him seemingly lost in thought. Dahlia swung her feet, looking for something to say. She flicked the half-empty goblet placed next to Nico with her finger nail, though she grimaced at the sting it brought she continued to make the light ringing sound. Nico scowled at the tinging noise and reached out to pull her hand away from the cup.

Just as he wrapped his fingers around Dahlia's hand, the door opened again and a girl Dahlia had never seen before strutted in. She looked sick to Dahlia, all waxy skin and thin limbs. The way her black hair curled into an uncontrollable mane down her back and her prominent cheek bones made her look like some wild princess from a fairy tale.

Nico withdrew his hand swiftly as if Dahlia had somehow burned him, looking up at the girl like a deer in the headlights.

When she saw Nico's hurried release of Dahlia's hand she grinned toothily. "Ooh, Nico," she said teasingly, "I didn't know you swung that way."

"What're you doing in here, Crypta?" Nico asked. "My father isn't exactly your biggest fan."

"Yeah, that's the weird bit," she said. "He invited me here."

Nico frowned. "Why?"

Crypta rolled her eyes and gave an exasperated laugh. "Glad to know I'm wanted. He told me that I needed to spend some time with the newbie. Something about keeping her 'out of trouble and in the Underworld'."

Crypta's exaggerated imitation of Hades' voice made Dahlia giggle but Nico scowled at her and she quickly quieted. "This isn't a joke, Dahlia," he said seriously. "Hades is way too interested in you for anything good to happen."

"Which is why I want to talk to you," Crypta said, striding to the desk. "I'm willing to risk my immortal hide until we figure out what's happening. I'll keep an eye on Dahlia and protect her from the big guy while you figure out what under Earth he wants with her."

"You'd keep her safe for a while?"

"Yeah, sure, Hades wants me to hang around with her anyway and-"

"Whoa, rewind!" Dahlia jumped off the desk and stared at Nico. "Who is this and why the heck does she want to protect me?"

"Crypta, daughter of Thanatos, at your service," Crypta said with a cheeky smile.

"She's pretty much the only other demigod around down here," Nico explained. "I've known her for a couple of years. She'll keep you safe while I try to figure out what's going on."

"But why do I _need_ to be kept safe?" she exclaimed. "Your dad said that he couldn't hurt me."

Nico let out a hollow laugh, "And you really believe that? He won't be hurting you personally but I would bet money that he'll get someone else to."

"Which brings us to my plan," Crypta said, bringing the attention back around to herself. "Now listen, it's complete genius."

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><p>Nico's footsteps echoed down the corridor as he strode from the library to his room. The stack of paperwork in his hand made his eyes itch with strain. A neat scrawl that was far too cramped for Nico's liking coated the paper, leaving little space between words. Attempting to read while he walked confused his brain but before he gave too much thought to stopping an unwelcome voice penetrated his wall of concentration.<p>

"The next time you plan on blatantly disobeying me, do not insult me by being so obvious."

Nico stumbled slightly, not prepared for his father to start a conversation. He scrambled for something to say and continued walking, hoping to appear unconcerned. "No idea what you're taking about," he said at last.

The god fell into step beside his son, frowning at him expectantly. "I told you to leave," Hades reminded him.

"And I did, didn't I?" Nico said airily, flipping several pages.

Hades grabbed his son's arm and whirled him around. The vice-like grip on his arm made Nico wince. "You were listening to every word," he growled, "I have told you before, not even twenty four hours ago, that I will not tolerate your disobedience any longer."

"I left!" Nico cried, prying his father's hand from his arm. "I did exactly what you-"

"Enough!" Hades snapped. "Enough. Your little charade isn't going to get you anywhere so we can get on with what I am going to do with you." What ever color Nico's face had previously held drained and he swallowed visibly. His fingers twitched, itching to grab a sword that wasn't there. _Stupid,_ he thought, _even if I did have it what good would it do? _"My words do not seem to be enough for you, it is time for you understand what being a prince truly means."

"You've said this before," Nico said tiredly. "Listening to my Superiors, thinking before I talk, doing whatever you say, I get it."

"_What it means_," Hades said acerbically, "is that you can do what you are told or face the consequences. If you want to keep your little demigod pet, behave, otherwise she might not be here when you wake up."

Nico watched his father walk off back the way they'd come with a hollow feeling gnawing at his chest. Hades meant what he had said, Nico just knew it. He took a deep breath, fighting to keep himself calm. _Just stick with the plan and it'll be fine, _he thought, desperately clinging to what ever hope he had left.

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><p>Crypta tugged Dahlia through her room to the private bathroom she'd explored the day before.<p>

"Crypta, I'm not so sure about this..."

"Look," she said, "do you want to talk to your dad or not?"

"Yeah, but-"

"No 'buts'! Just throw the coin in the mist, summon the goddess, say your dad's name, and your golden!"

"Okay..." Dahlia agreed uncertainly.

Crypta grinned and turned the tap on full blast, creating a steady stream of mist. "I'll be in your room," she said, leaving Dahlia alone in the bathroom.

"Here goes nothing," Dahlia said, tossing the golden coin Crypta had given her into the rainbow they'd created. "O Iris, Goddess of the Rainbow-" she winced, feeling ridiculous, "-accept my offering. Show me Joshua Bryony at Middlemist Acres."

Immediately, an image sputtered into life in the mist. It flickered for several seconds until a steady picture of a man lugging a bucket across what appeared to be a farmyard was floating in the air before her. The man had shaggy brown hair and wore a grey T-shirt and a pair of ratty jeans tucked into rubber boots. When he saw Dahlia, he nearly dropped the bucket he was holding in surprise.

"Dahlia!" he exclaimed.

"Hi, dad," she said with a slightly timid wave. "How's it going?"

"How's it going? I've been worried sick! Why didn't you contact me earlier? I've been waiting and waiting for news. It's been months since your letter and even then-"

"I'm sorry," Dahlia interrupted, "a lot's happened. I started training, and I kept getting chores piled on me, and then I met this boy, and then this weird prince guy showed up and took me to the Underworld so now I'm stuck down here, and-"

"Whoa, slow down there," said Josh, holding up a hand to stop her. "You're in the Underworld? Why?"

"Uh... well... um... you see... you know Hades? The god I was supposed to be running away from?- Even though you didn't tell me that. -Well... he kind of... found me."

Now he really did drop the bucket. "Hades has you? That's exactly what your mother was trying to prevent! It's nearly spring now, is she still down there?"

"Yeah, she is." Dahlia bit her lip, thinking back to her first and only encounter with her mother. "I don't know how much help she'll be, though. I only saw her long enough for her to tell me who she was. After that Hades had me carted off to my room and I haven't seen her since."

"Are you safe there? Do I need to try and find you?"

"Dad, I'm fine. And what could you do anyway? Is there anything else you're hiding from me?"

Josh winced. "Look, Dahlia, I am so sorry about keeping this from you. I really am. I didn't know what to do and your mother seemed to think it was best. She told me you would be safer not knowing."

"Then why didn't you say something when you brought me to camp?" Dahlia snapped. "Gods know you had plenty of opportunities."

"I've already apologized, Dahlia. What more can I do?"

Dahlia shook her head. "Nothing, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped like that."

"You might want to hurry it up," Crypta called from the other room, "You only have half an hour to get changed for dinner and downstairs."

"Who is that?" Josh asked, craning his neck to try and see further into the Iris Message.

"That's just Crypta," Dahlia explained, "she's hanging out with me for a while down here. Nico asked her to."

"And who's Nico?"

"He's that prince I mentioned earlier, Hades' son."

Josh blanched. "Hades has a child too? And you're with him?"

"Dad it's okay, he's my..." Dahlia frowned, "friend, I guess. He's been making sure I'm okay. Believe it or not, he doesn't always agree with what his dad says. He doesn't think I should be down here either."

"If you're sure you know what you're doing..."

"I am," she assured him. "Listen, I'm supposed to be eating downstairs with everyone else tonight so I need to get ready. Crypta and Nico will be there to watch out for me if Hades gets a bit aggressive so you don't need to worry. I'll try to send you another message soon, okay?"

Josh didn't seem quite satisfied with Dahlia's reassurances. "Just make sure I know what's going on, alright? I need to know you're safe."

"I will, love you."

Dahlia lifted her hand to swipe the message away but Josh spoke up. "Dahlia?" She paused. "Come home to me."

She nodded and smiled softly, then cut their connection.

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><p>Dinner that evening was a gloomy affair. Dahlia knew that Nico would likely arrive late in the hopes of furthering the first step of their plan but she hadn't counted on the awkward silence she would have to endure until his arrival.<p>

Persephone sat on Hades' left next to her daughter with pursed lips, occupying her time with changing the flower arrangement in the center piece at regular intervals. Hades sat stiffly in his chair and glared at the double doors opposite him as if silently ordering them to open and reveal his son. With nothing to do and being to nervous to break the silence, Dahlia kicked her feet nervously under the table, her swinging legs keeping time with her racing heart.

"Something troubling you, Dahlia?" Hades asked.

Dahlia jumped and looked at the god wide eyed, "N-no-"

Before she could finish her response Hades's eyes flicked to the doorway and he cut her off with a sharp, "Why are you late?"

Looking up, Dahlia was greeted by the welcome sight of Nico di Angelo, clad in his usual black jeans and t-shirt, scuffed converse, and leather jacket. He hovered in the doorway and met his father's eyes with a guarded expression.

"Traffic?" he tried hopefully.

Hades arched an eyebrow. "Sit down then," he said curtly.

Nico slid into his seat on Hades' right, ignoring Dahlia completely. She studied the tremendous amount of cutlery in front of her intently, trying to ward off a small smile. _Remember the plan,_ she scolded herself, _just stick to the plan._

"I've invited Crypta to join us, by the way," Nico said in an offhand voice. Hades clenched his jaw to hold back his frustration but offered no response.

Dahlia peeked out from under her bangs to see how Nico was dealing with the overload of cutlery and copied him, reaching for the knife and fork at the end of the row on either side of the plate. After cutting up what was on her plate she looked up again to see Nico smirking at her around a mouthful of food. He had been cutting and eating one piece at a time, as had their parents. Blushing furiously, Dahlia picked at the childishly cut food in front of her.

"Pomegranate green tea? _Again_?" Dahlia looked up again just in time to see Nico placing his goblet back on the table in front of him with a look of disgust on his face. _There's the signal_, she thought bracingly,_ the game is on_. Persephone shot her stepson a withering glare. "It's not even green..." he muttered under his breath.

"That would be the pomegranate," the goddess said primly, cutting herself another bite.

"Not good enough for you, princess?" Dahlia asked, feeling brave.

"Call me princess one more time and I swear I'll kill you," Nico said, narrowing his eyes.

Hades gave Nico a warning look, effectively silencing him.

"I'd love to see you try," Dahlia taunted.

Nico felt a tug behind his naval and jumped up from his chair so quickly it toppled over behind him. His heart was pounding and a burning anger filled his chest. The game was over, no more of these fake fights. Dahlia had gone too far by challenging him. She would pay for that mistake. He slammed his hands on the table and leaned over so far that he and Dahlia were almost nose to nose.

"Say that again," he breathed.

"Nico," Hades snapped, "sit down and stop this ridiculous behavior immediately."

Nico whipped his head around to look at his father, his face twisted in anger. Hades blinked in momentary surprise when he saw his son's ferocity. Then he nodded, almost imperceptibly, and stood from his chair.

"Come with me," he said calmly, placing a hand on his son's shoulder and guiding him from the room.

By the time they were in the empty corridor Nico was back to his normal self again. He twisted away from his father, trying to appear as though he was still angry. Now that he had succeeded in getting Hades out of the room, regardless of his thoughts about the plan while he had been out of control, he couldn't lose his attention now.

He opened his mouth to bite out an angry question but instead had to hold back a yelp as he was grabbed by the back of his leather jacket and tugged along like a kitten by the scruff of his neck. He squirmed against his father's hold but was hauled down the corridor despite his passed Crypta in the corridor and Hades glared at her but she just winked conspiratorially at Nico as she made her way to the dining hall.

"I take it the stirrings have started," Hades said in a businesslike tone as they reached the third floor landing.

"Stirrings?" Nico asked, taken aback.

"Do not make the mistake of thinking I did not see. I know why you have been challenging me so often."

"Because you refuse to listen to me!"

"Because you cannot control yourself. When a demigod is made immortal it is never a smooth transition. You have been feeling angry at nothing for days-"

"At nothing?" Nico exclaimed, stopping abruptly. "You threatened Dahlia, won't listen to anything I-"

Hades gave Nico a sharp yank and continued to tug him down the corridor. "It is apparent that your school boy crush is blinding you to your own interests," he interrupted.

"'School boy crush'?" Nico asked incredulously, finding his feet again and managing to keep pace with his father. "How long is this going to take to sink in? I. Am. Gay."

"Your _affections_ for this girl, then," he spoke as though the words left a vile taste in his mouth. "That will have to change."

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><p><strong>AN This chapter involves a character called Crypta, which you obviously know since you've finished reading. Some of you might already know that she isn't actually mine either. My amazing beta, Jackbunjeekiki, thought her up for a couple of her stories (which you should definitely read btw they involve tons of wonderful Percy ICness) and is kindly letting me borrow her for this one. ****If you're interested in reading more about Crypta check out _Cigarettes_, _Guard Duty_, and _The Son of Death at Hogwarts_ all by Jackbunjeekiki.****  
><strong>


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